If you want to look beyond the pharmacy for chronic pain relief, try the vitamin aisle – or even the produce section. Here's how different natural remedies might soothe various types of pain.

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You know you should consume a variety of nutrients for your overall health, but recent research has shown that some of the same ingredients in your daily multivitamin can ease pain, too. The reason is likely their antioxidant properties, which can prevent inflammation of and damage to the body’s tissues. Inflammation is linked to a host of chronic conditions, including pain and heart disease. Fighting inflammation might be as simple as upping your vitamin intake.

“As antioxidants, they can block free radicals that can change molecules [in the body],” says Christopher Cannon, MD, a Boston cardiologist and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Anti-Inflammation Diet. “Otherwise, the body would see these funny-looking molecules and start to attack them, which is inflammation.”

If you’re ready to try a new approach to pain relief, check out this list of the top pain-fighting vitamins, all of which are easy to add to a healthy diet without the need for supplements.

Vitamin D. If you’ve dealt with severe menstrual cramps, you might want to double-check that you’re getting enough of the sunshine vitamin. Women who received a single high dose of vitamin D before the start of their menstrual period had 41 percent less pelvic pain than women who did not take the vitamin, plus they didn’t need their usual pain-relief medication, a small study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found. Earlier studies have shown that a shortage of D is associated with menstrual pain and that getting regular amounts of vitamin D — even less than the average recommended daily amount of 1,200 IU — reduces the chances of period pain . For vitamin D without supplements, add plenty of vitamin D-fortified milk, juice, salmon, and tuna to your diet.

Vitamin C. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C has also been linked with pain relief — though the full story on vitamin C’s pain-reducing effects is still being written. A Dutch study of more than 400 people found that daily doses of vitamin C helped reduce pain in people with wrist fractures. However, another recent study done in England found that treatment with antioxidants, including vitamin C, did not provide pain relief for people with chronic pancreatitis from alcohol abuse. Chronic pain cure or not, eating plenty of vitamin C-rich foods is a good idea for general health . Great sources include red sweet peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits, and broccoli. The recommended daily allowance of vitamin C is 90 milligrams for men and 75 mg for women, but adults can take up to 2,000 mg daily without adverse effects.

Vitamin B12. Supplements of this B vitamin have been shown to be effective in pain management for a variety of conditions, including low-back pain and recurrent aphthous stomatitis, or mouth sores. Most people get enough B12 from their diet through animal products, such as eggs, milk, fish, and meat, and some fortified cereals . Vegans and some vegetarians should take B12 supplements to replace what they are not getting through their diet, but taking supplements beyond the recommended daily allowance of 2.4 micrograms for most adults is not suggested because a safe upper limit has not been established.

Vitamin E. Several studies suggest that vitamin E may be helpful in pain management for several conditions, including breast pain and neuropathic pain . Vitamin E might be able to reduce exercise-related damage to muscles, an Australian study found. But another study found that vitamin E supplements might pose risks, including an increased risk for prostate cancer in men . Adult men and women should aim for about 15 mg or 22.4 IU of vitamin E daily; a typical multivitamin supplement provides that amount. To boost vitamin E intake through food, use safflower or sunflower oil in recipes and munch on sunflower seeds and nuts including almonds, hazelnuts, and peanuts for nutrient-rich snacking. People on blood thinning medications should be careful not to take large amounts of vitamin E because it has been associated with increased bleeding risk. The highest safe supplement dose for adults is 1,500 IU or 1,000 mg a day.

A word of caution: Although some studies have shown these vitamins to have pain-relieving effects, you should always talk to your doctor before using them as a primary treatment for any conditions you may have. "It’s definitely not a substitute for medication,” Cannon says.

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